Leaving the Nest
by OnceUponAShipper
Summary: Henry's home after graduating college, but soon decides he must move out. He's an adult now. You can imagine Regina and Emma's reactions... And, if you can't, well, here they are! Henry and Regina share a much-needed mother/son moment. SwanQueen in maternal glory, and Henry as a hopeful young adult! One-shot.


Henry had been home from college for exactly one month before he came to the resolution that it was time to tell his mothers about his plans. He didn't want to; he loved being home with everyone. He'd gotten so many hugs, heard so many stories, and given so many piggyback rides during his return to Storybrooke. It was almost as if he'd never left.

When he slept in his old room, and he knew he wasn't leaving for school the next day, he felt as though he were 13 years-old again. His posters were missing and his toys had been passed down to his siblings, but he was a child in his room. He remembered waking up every weekend to a freshly made breakfast from Regina, random noises from another room and Emma swearing, and their laughter during their meals together.

Now, when he was home, he would wake up to the laughter and squeals of his brother and sisters. The smell of apple pancakes had turned into grilled cheese sandwiches or cinnamon apple sauce. Family meals became something of an ordeal; tantrums over the menu options, who would cut which kid's food, and Dani whining about why the twins didn't have to eat their sliced apples.

Don't misunderstand, Henry enjoyed nothing more than to be with his family, but his time there was up. He was an adult- and a college graduate. After seeing what Gold had showed him, he knew he had to start on his own. He needed to find a job, a place to live, maybe even his true love. And, he needed a way to break the news to his parents.

Henry's job-search lasted less than a week when he stumbled upon a listing for an intern at a newspaper in Boston. Being the child of magical parents, he took it as a sign. He sent a few emails, uploaded his short resume, and heard back within three days of his application. He'd gotten the spot. Now all he had to do was tell his mothers. He laughed at the idea. "All."

* * *

It was a sunny Saturday morning when Henry woke up and knew it was the day. He could hear Dani giggling hysterically downstairs, and he didn't have to know what it was about snicker along. After he threw on his jeans and hoodie, Henry jogged down the stairs and scooped up the siblings who ambushed him.

"You guys are getting too big," he grunted. Somehow, all three children managed to climb aboard the Henry train.

"Dani, come on now, you know the rules. No jumping on Henry," Regina reminded with a kiss on Henry's cheek. "Morning, dear."

At 22 years-old, Henry still wasn't used to his Regina's maternal kisses. Emma had always been the casual one. She gave him a fist bump with one hand, and passed a steaming cup of coffee in the other. "You look like you need it," she chuckled.

"Thanks, Ma. I love you, too." Henry struggled to maintain balance of the scalding hot drink as the twins were still attached to him. "Guys, I gotta sit down," he said gently. Emma had to pry Dakota off of Henry's leg and Regina with August. Neither of them threw a tantrum, though, much to the relief of the rest of the family. Henry took his usual spot at the table- a perfect view of his parents and siblings. Dakota and August had already begun to make music out of their spoons and high chairs when the words exploded from Henry's mouth. "I got a job this week."

The mindless movements of their morning ritual stopped; jaws fell to the table, the twins stopped babbling as if they understood, and Dani turned on her puppy dog eyes. "You're going away?" she asked sadly.

Henry instantly regretted his sudden announcement as he took in the emotions around him. He tried to ruffle Dani's hair, but she shrugged away from him. "Just for a little while, Dani. I'll be back." The little girl seemed remotely comforted, yet still hesitant. She just got her brother back, and now he was going to be gone again? That wasn't fair.

The vein in Regina's forehead pulsated as she waited for the blood to stop rushing in her ears. "You got a job?" she stammered. She could feel Emma's foot nudge her own under the table.

"That's great, Kid," Emma smiled. Henry knew both of his mothers well enough to read through their expressions- or rather, through Regina's. "Isn't that great, Gina?" Emma urged.

The brunette nodded distractedly and folded her hands together on the table. Henry saw the politician in Regina and a suppressed amount of fear made its way through his system. "Uh, well, it's not exactly a job job. It's more like an internship." Henry kept his head low and his eyes down as he awaited his other mother's reaction. He could hear Regina's own heart beating and the sound filled the room. No one moved, or blinked, during the silence. "Mom?"

"When do you leave?" Regina asked without missing a beat. It was as though someone flipped the "on" switch in her mind that connected to her mouth.

"Next week," Henry mumbled.

"And where are you going to live?" Regina questioned. Henry's announcement was slowly becoming an interrogation.

"There are a few other guys who are interning there, too. We've been emailing about apartments and stuff," Henry explained.

Regina scoffed in obvious disdain. "You're going to rent an apartment with people you haven't even met?" Her head started spinning and her voice started rising in volume. Dani and the twins watched their mother struggle to control her temper- all aware not to disturb the tense moment.

"Regina-" Emma tried to butt in.

"So, that's it then? You're leaving in mere days to live with strangers, and we won't see you again?" Regina cut Emma off. She was too angry to think clearly, or even see straight. Henry's uncomfortable body language meant nothing to Regina as she began rebuking him.

"Mom, it's not like that- I'm not leaving forever. It's-" Henry sighed tiredly. "I've gotta get out, Mom. I've gotta try stuff on my own."

"You can do that in Storybrooke," Regina piped.

"I love it here, Mom, but you know I can't. I can't start my own life in a town where no one new comes in and the rest of the people here can't go. I've gotta do this." Henry stood up and walked over to Regina; he towered over her as she sat timidly in her chair. "I'm sorry." He gave his mom a kiss on the cheek before fleeing the kitchen. The next sound the family heard was front door closing.

* * *

Henry didn't know where he was going exactly. Definitely not to the Charmings' and definitely not to Gold's shop. He didn't want to be alone, but at the same time, he didn't want to be surrounded by concerned family members. He didn't know what he wanted, to be honest. He just knew he needed to get out.

He let his feet lead him to wherever he was meant to be at the time. In the preceding years, Henry's faith had been slowly evolving. He'd always believed in magic, in good, and in love, but his time in college was challenging. With every midterm exam and every 30 page paper, his idea of "meant to be" had wavered. He'd always lived by the mantra, "Everything happens for a reason." That never changed. Though, Henry had started to question what reasons were behind which events; it always resulted in a headache.

So, for the time being, Henry didn't think about where he was going. He let the sounds of the morning birds chirping and leaves rustling in the wind take over. He didn't have to watch the ground for holes or rocks; he made a smooth journey into the woods. Eventually, the passing cars and greetings of passerby faded into a distant hum.

The closer Henry got, he soon realized where his solitude was to be spent. A feeling of familiarity replaced anxiety and Henry was reminded of his childhood. He hadn't been to his castle years. He didn't even realize it was still standing. In the vision Gold had showed him, it stood erect, though that had also been an alternate universe.

Henry ran his hands over the aged structure and memories filled his mind. He could hear his own laughter, along with the joy of other youth who had been offered time on the play place. He remembered the splinter he'd gotten in the palm of his hand when he was 14 after sliding down the pole. He would later admit that it had not been a well-thought out plan.

Henry could see Regina's protective stance around the castle as she monitored who could, and could not, enter the space. Her maternal ferocity created a stiff environment around a structure that was supposed to signify innocence and purity. Drops of the tension were still apparent to Henry as an adult.

With the grace of a practiced gymnast, Henry swung himself onto the ledge and closed his eyes. He relinquished control to nature's harmonies and his mind drifted off slowly. That is, until he heard footsteps approaching. One, two, three, stop.

"Ma, I know, 'no running away,'" Henry groaned. As he rotated his torso, his surprise was unhide-able when he saw that it was Regina standing there. "Mom?"

"I know you were expecting Emma," Regina said sadly.

"No, no, I wasn't." Henry stood on his feet like a gentleman and offered the empty space.

Regina shuffled over to her son and took his hand as he helped her onto the construction. Henry took his seat next to her, his eyes on the half-crumpled leaf he'd picked up. "I remember when I had this built," Regina said quietly, her hand rested atop the weathered wooden ledge. "I'm not proud of the way it happened, but I'll never forget your smile when you played on it." There was a fair two feet of space between Henry and Regina, and he felt as though a mile separated them. "You always were a hopeful one." Henry felt a comforting hand on his shoulder, which only increased his guilt. "Henry, do you remember the first time I used magic on you?" There was a grittiness to Regina's voice as she recalled doing to her son what she had always promised never to. When Henry nodded, Regina moved on. "I told you that I didn't know how to love well enough, and that I didn't think I was capable of it. I also told you that I knew holding on to someone too hard never makes them love you."

"Mom, you know I love you."

Regina looked at her grown son with a gleam in her eyes. "I know, Henry. And I love you. A lot's happened since then. I learned that I could love again. You taught that me that, you know. You and Emma. But, I've never been able to forget the lessons your grandmother tried to instill in me. The one thing I do know, Henry, is that I want you to be happy. I don't want to lose you, but I want you to follow your own dreams and create your own path." Her hand reached instinctively towards Henry's hair as she combed it out of his eyes. She noticed how the years had changed Henry; his shoulders had broadened, his voice deepened until it could change no more, his once youthful air about him now masked by an immense amount of maturity. "You've grown up too fast. You're not a baby anymore."

Henry could see Regina's eyes glisten and he knew tears were imminent. "I'm not doing this to hurt you, Mom. I swear."

"I know, Henry." Regina tried to keep her smile the way it was, but she could feel the vein in her forehead throbbing.

"It's not like college. I'll be able to come on the weekends, I won't have a ton of homework to worry about-"

"You're an adult now, you make your own decisions. Don't worry about calling every night. We'll understand."

Regina dropped her hand from Henry's face, but he caught it before it landed at her side. "Mom, I'm _going_ call you every night until I can't do it anymore. I'm _going_ to see Dani and Dakota and August grow up. They couldn't pay me enough money to miss any of it. And, since they're not paying me yet, there's nothing to worry about." He held his mother's hand momentarily as he spoke, and made sure to look her in the eye; that was how he told her he was serious. "I've just got-"

"To start your own life," Regina finished his sentence. "I know." She let go of Henry's hand and helped herself onto her feet. "We should go home. I left your mom with the kids."

Henry chuckled as he stood tall. "That's a scary thought."

The two lingered there for a brief second before Regina wrapped her arms around her oldest. "I'm so proud of you, Henry. I love you more than you'll ever know. You'll always be my baby."

Henry smiled to himself as he leaned down to accommodate Regina's height. "I love you, too. You'll always be my Mom."

* * *

**A/N **- To those who've sent in story suggestions, fear not, for they are in the process of being written! Thanks for reading! Hope you all enjoyed it! More of Henry to come soon!


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